Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 "A medicine cat?" Lionkit stared at Hollykit, bewildered. "Why?" "There are other ways to serve your Clan apart from being a warrior," Hollykit snapped. "But you'll be stuck in the camp with all the sick and injured cats instead of out in the forest hunting or fighting." There was no criticism in Lionkit's tone, only disbelief. Hollykit did not want to hear about what she would be missing. "But think how much I'll know," she pointed out. "I'll learn all about healing herbs, and I'll be able to share dreams with StarClan." She stared at him, willing him to understand. "What could be more exciting than that?" "Fighting ShadowClan?" "But I want to have dreams just like Leafpool and Willowpaw!" Hollykit insisted. "You already do," Lionkit purred, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Dreams about hedgehogs!"

第七章 “巫医？” 小狮盯着小冬青，满脸困惑。 “为什么？” “除了当武士，还有别的方式能为族群效力。”小冬青厉声说道。 “可你就得一直困在营地里，陪着所有生病受伤的猫，没法去森林打猎或打仗了。” 小狮的语气里没有批评，只有不敢相信。 小冬青不想听她会错过什么。 “可你想想我能学到多少东西呀，”她辩解道。 “我能学会所有药草知识，还能和星族共享梦境呢。” 她盯着小狮，想要他理解自己。 “还有什么比这更让人激动的？” “打影族呀？” “可我就是想要像叶池和柳爪那样的梦境啊！” 小冬青坚持说道。 “你现在就有梦呀，”小狮低笑着，眼睛闪着玩味的光。 “梦见刺猬呀！”

"You cheeky kit!" Hollykit squeaked in mock anger. With a small leap, she pushed Lionkit to the ground and began to tussle with him. "What are you two doing?" Squirrelflight's stern meow made Hollykit freeze. Lionkit struggled from her grasp, and the two kits sat up and faced their mother. "If you've got nothing better to do than make the fresh-kill pile dusty with your fighting, you may as well go back to the nursery." "But I haven't eaten yet!" Hollykit protested. "Then take something with you," Squirrelflight answered. "And take something for Ferncloud, too." Hollykit hated eating in the nursery. Prey always tasted better eaten in the fresh air. But she didn't protest. She saw that Squirrelflight had already turned to look at Thornclaw, who was resting beneath Highledge. "I hope Thornclaw's remembered that he's leading the sunhigh patrol," the flame-colored she-cat meowed, half to herself. "You'd better go and remind him, seeing as you seem to be keeping an eye on everyone

“你这调皮的小家伙！” 小冬青假装生气，尖声叫了起来。 她轻轻一跃，把小狮推倒在地，和他扭打起来。 “你们两个在干什么？” 松鼠飞严厉的叫声让小冬青一下子僵住了。 小狮从她爪下挣开，两只小猫坐直身子，面向他们的妈妈。 “要是你们没事可干，只会打架把猎物堆弄得到处是灰，那干脆回育婴室去。” “可我还没吃东西呢！” 小冬青抗议道。 “那你就带点吃的回去，”松鼠飞回答。 “也给蕨云带一份。” 小冬青讨厌在育婴室吃东西。 在新鲜空气里吃肉，味道总是好得多。 可她没有抗议。 她看见松鼠飞已经转头看向在高岩下休息的棘爪。 “希望棘爪没忘记他要带领正午巡逻队，”这只姜黄色母猫喃喃道，一半是说给自己听的。 “你最好去提醒他，反正你好像盯着所有人

around here," Hollykit muttered. "What was that?" Squirrelflight's thoughtful gaze remained on Thornclaw. "Nothing," Hollykit mewed guiltily. "Don't forget Ferncloud," Squirrelflight reminded her, padding away. Hollykit stared after her mother, feeling a surge of rebellious anger. "It wouldn't be so bad if she even noticed she was spoiling our fun!" "She's just busy," Lionkit mewed. "You know what she's like." "I suppose." Hollykit sighed. She knew she wasn't being fair. How could she criticize her mother when, in truth, she wanted to be just like her, brave and loyal and respected by her Clanmates? "Let's go back to the nursery." Hollykit dragged one of Brook's mice from the fresh-kill pile. Lionkit pulled off a thrush more than half his size and began hauling it toward the nursery. Hollykit guessed that Ferncloud wouldn't be able to eat such a large piece of prey, but her brother never changed his mind once it was made up. Back in the nursery she ate the mouse, giving

都管遍了，”小冬青嘟囔道。 “你说什么？” 松鼠飞若有所思的目光仍停留在棘爪身上。 “没什么，”小冬青愧疚地说道。 “别忘了给蕨云带那份，”松鼠飞提醒她，说完便走开了。 小冬青望着妈妈的背影，涌起一股逆反的怒火。 “她破坏了我们的兴致，自己都没发觉，真是太讨厌了！” “她只是太忙了，”小狮说道。 “你知道她一向就是这样的。” “大概吧。” 小冬青叹了口气。 她知道自己这样并不公平。 其实她本来就想成为妈妈那样的猫，勇敢忠诚，受族猫尊敬，她又怎么能指责妈妈呢？ “我们回育婴室吧。” 小冬青从猎物堆里拖出了溪留下的一只老鼠。 小狮拽下一只比他半个身子还大的鸫鸟，拖着往育婴室走去。 小冬青猜到蕨云吃不了这么大一块猎物，可哥哥一旦打定主意就绝不会改。 回到育婴室，她吃完了老鼠，给

thanks to StarClan for the food before she tucked in. When she had finished she gave her paws and muzzle a quick lick and then lay flat on her belly to peep out under the brambles at the clearing. Lionkit had fallen asleep beside her, and Ferncloud was trying to persuade Foxkit and Icekit to try a piece of the thrush that she'd softened with her teeth. Hollykit narrowed her eyes and stared at the entrance to the medicine den, watching for any movement. She wanted to speak to Willowpaw again. At last the brambles twitched and Leafpool led Mothwing and Willowpaw out into the clearing. Hollykit glanced back at Lionkit, still sleeping, and Ferncloud, busy with her kits. As quietly as possible she slithered out under the bramble wall of the den, dislodging a wad of leaves that Squirrelflight had pressed into place the day before. I'll fix it later, Hollykit vowed as she scooted across the clearing. "Hello!" she mewed to Willowpaw. Willowpaw's ears twitched. She blinked at Hollykit, and the faraway look cleared from her gaze. "Hi," she mewed.

感谢星族赐给食物，之后才埋头吃起来。 吃完之后，她快速舔了舔爪子和嘴巴，接着平趴在地上，从荆棘丛底下往空地张望。 小狮已经在她身边睡着了，蕨云正哄着小狐和小冰尝那块她用牙泡软的鸫鸟肉。 小冬青眯起眼睛，盯着巫医巢穴的入口，观察着有没有动静。 她想再和柳爪说说话。 终于，荆棘动了动，叶池带着蛾翅和柳爪走到了空地上。 小冬青回头看了看还在熟睡的小狮，和忙着照顾幼崽的蕨云。 她尽可能轻地从巢穴的荆棘墙下溜出来，碰掉了一大团松鼠飞昨天刚塞好的叶子。 我之后再修好，小冬青暗暗发誓，快步溜过了空地。 “你好呀！” 她对柳爪说道。 柳爪的耳朵轻轻抖了一下。 她朝小冬青眨了眨眼，脸上茫然出神的表情消失了。 “嗨，”她招呼道。

"Did Leafpool help you?" Willowpaw nodded. "I can tell you about the dream now, if you still want to know." Hollykit flicked her tail excitedly. "Yes, please." "Well," Willowpaw began, "I dreamed that clouds were streaming across the sky, flowing and tumbling across the blue. And then they stopped and the sun scorched down onto the RiverClan camp, shriveling the plants and drying up the nests until there was no shelter from the burning heat." Hollykit shuddered. "What did it mean?" "Leafpool thought it could be a warning of trouble with our water supply. But there's been plenty of rain this leaf-bare, so it probably doesn't mean a drought. She advised me to tell Leopardstar to check all the streams near the camp and make sure they are safe." Hollykit leaned forward. "How did you become Mothwing's apprentice?" she asked. "I helped her with some of her patients when there was an outbreak of illness," Willowpaw told her. "I enjoyed the tasks she gave me, so I just

“叶池帮过你吗？” 柳爪点了点头。 “要是你还想知道，我现在就能给你讲讲那个梦。” 冬青崽兴奋地甩了甩尾巴。 “好呀，快说吧。” “唔，”柳爪开口说道，“我梦到云朵从天上涌过，在蓝天里翻涌流淌。” 接着云朵突然停住，骄阳炙烤着河族营地，植物全都枯萎，巢穴也被晒得干裂，连一处挡热气的地方都没留下。” 冬青崽打了个哆嗦。 “这个梦是什么意思呀？” “叶池觉得，这可能是水源出问题的警告。” 不过这个秃叶季雨水一直很充足，应该不会是干旱啦。 “她让我告诉豹星，检查营地附近所有溪流，确保它们都安全。” 冬青崽往前凑了凑。 “你是怎么成为蛾飞的学徒的呀？” 她问道。 “那次传染病爆发的时候，我帮她照顾过病人，”柳爪告诉她。 “我很喜欢她交给我的活儿，所以我就

kept going back to the medicine den and helping out until Mothwing suggested I should become her apprentice." "Did you always want to be a medicine cat?" "I didn't really think about it," Willowpaw admitted. "It just sort of happened, and then I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Being a medicine cat is great!" Hollykit opened her mouth to agree, but before she could speak, Mothwing called her apprentice away. "Willowpaw, we're leaving." Mothwing brushed muzzles with Leafpool and headed for the thorn tunnel. Willowpaw bounded after her. "Bye, Hollykit!" she called over her shoulder. Hollykit watched the two cats disappear through the tunnel. Willowpaw had made her even more determined to be Leafpool's apprentice. Forgetting that she was not meant to be out of the nursery, she hurried after Leafpool, following her into her den. Jaykit was sprawled in his nest, the soft gray fur of his belly showing. He was clearly sleeping more comfortably than last time Hollykit had

一直往巫医巢穴跑，帮忙做事，后来蛾飞就提议让我当她的学徒啦。” “你一直都想当巫医吗？” “我之前其实没怎么想过这件事，”柳爪坦白说。 它就这么自然而然发生了，后来我根本想象不出还能做别的工作。 当巫医可太棒啦！” 冬青崽刚张开嘴想附和，还没等她说话，蛾飞就叫自己的学徒走了。 “柳爪，我们该走了。” 蛾飞和叶池碰了碰鼻子，就朝着荆藤通道走去了。 柳爪蹦蹦跳跳地跟在她身后。 “再见啦，冬青崽！” 她回过头喊道。 冬青崽看着两只猫穿过通道消失了。 柳爪的话让冬青崽更下定决心，要当叶池的学徒。 她忘了自己本来不该出育婴室，连忙跟在叶池身后，走进了她的巢穴。 松鸦崽正摊开身子躺在巢穴里，露出肚子上柔软的灰色皮毛。 很明显，他睡得比冬青崽上次来看他的时候舒服多了。